Out Of The West
by Nicole5
Summary: Okay, for those of you who don't like the term Mary-Sue, this is a self-insertion story! This story is about Nicole, a girl thrown into her favorite adventure with three friends and three great gifts.
1. Of Forests, Rocks, and PJs

_**Hi! I decided to give this story a bit of a re-vamp and alter it drastically later on. I won't take it down, but for each chapter that I change, I'll upload it over it as I go. Most changes are going to be alterations in some of the wording. Later on you'll see the major change, which is for the best. I hope you like the changes and I'll try to update more often since I found my Muse again!  
  
Disclaimer: I, in no way-shape-form, own any part of the Lord of the Ring dynasty. It all belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien. I am merely writing this as a form of entertainment. I am making no money off of this, nor do I want to. Thank you.**_

* * *

With a groan of pain, Nicole opened her eyes and realized that she was no longer in her own home. She had been awakened by the fact that her two flannel blankets had not been covering her and a slight chill and crept over her. When Nicole had subconsciously reached down for her blankets, she had found nothing but dew-covered grass. Her blue-green eyes had snapped open and Nicole felt the first wave of pain that went through her, from her head all the way to her sock covered feet.  
  
It was dark, Nicole realized, with light just starting to penetrate the surrounding trees. She was lying on a bed of moss located right next to a large tree, whose top most branches disappeared into the gloom above. A gasp escaped Nicole's lips as it dawned on her that she was in a forest unlike the ones near her home, these trees being far too soft and beautiful.  
  
Nicole sat up and another, fiercer, wave of pain crashed through her, pulling another groan. Nicole slumped back down and threw a hand over her eyes. She lay there for some time before the soft forest breeze picked up once again, making Nicole decided that she would have to find a warmer place to stay until she could find a better shirt that her white tank top.  
  
Gritting her teeth, Nicole pushed herself up..._again_...this time more slowly than before. Luckily for her, the wave of pain was less severe than the last and she was able to remain in an upright position. Nicole raised her right hand and brushed it through her hair...only to come in contact with a warm sticky substance. Pulling her hand, Nicole stared in shock at the blood that was now coating her fingertips...though barely more than a drop or two.  
  
Feeling her scalp again, Nicole found that there was a small cut, a scrap really, just above her temple and it was slowly oozing blood. Looking behind her, Nicole spotted the small rock, hidden amongst the moss like a concealed assassin, which must have cut her because it had a jagged looking edge to it and it was spotted with drying blood. In a sudden flair of anger, that would have made any berserker ancestors proud, Nicole wrenched the rock from its mossy cradle and flung it further into the forest.  
  
With a soft _thud_, Nicole was satisfied that she had rid herself of that dangerous piece of forestry. Looking around some more to try and gather where she was, Nicole saw that the forest surrounding her was healthy, green, and cool. There was no humidity in the air, which told Nicole straight out that this was not a forest from home since it was the humid part of the year in the South. This forest was also far more beautiful; with lots of moss and very few weeds growing around...there also was not a carpet of dead leaves covering the ground. In a way, it reminded Nicole of the forest where the Last Unicorn lived before she went in search of the rest of her kind.  
  
'Maybe that's what I have to do,' Nicole mused to herself, 'Maybe I have to leave this place, though it feels safe here...if cold, and try to find someone.' Which, of course, was the logical thing to do, but Nicole was not known for suggesting or doing the logical thing...  
  
Bracing herself for another wave of pain, Nicole began to push herself up from her soft cushion of moss. The wave of pain came, now barely an ache, and Nicole no longer groaned when she felt it.  
  
Once standing, Nicole brushed of her tank top and her blue, dragon covered pajama bottoms. She also touched her scra – cut, again, and found that the bleeding had stopped and had formed an annoying flaky state.  
  
"Well," Nicole muttered under her breath, "I'm off to see the Wizard." Little did Nicole know was that she would be meeting a Wizard. 


	2. Actor? Or Elf?

_**Last Time:**  
  
"Well," Nicole muttered under her breath, "I'm off to see the Wizard." Little did Nicole know was that she would be meeting a Wizard._

* * *

After what seemed like hours of walking, Nicole literally stumbled upon a small river. Nicole had been walking through the woods, in a somewhat fixed direction ...hopefully...when the forest suddenly stopped and the little river started...which preceded Nicole falling into said river.  
  
"Stupid river!" Nicole yelled as she picked herself up out of the water. Trudging to the other side thoroughly soaked, Nicole did not notice the elegant rider sitting atop a pale horse that was watching her intently from further down stream.  
  
"I don't know why I even came this way! I could have gone the other way and kept myself from taking that wonderful dive into Soggy Bottom River back there! But _**nnnnoooooo**_! I had to go this way and get myself lost, _dunked_, _**tired**_, and completely _**CRANKY**_!" The silent rider, whose face was hidden beneath a forest green cloak and hood, cocked their head and Nicole's antics. The rider went into the woods as Nicole did, following her from a distance while trying to determine where she was going. After a few minutes, the rider came to the obvious conclusion that Nicole knew not where she was going.  
  
Deciding that Nicole was of no threat, the rider moved in closer to her, finally revealing himself to the wet and deranged teenager.  
  
"_**AAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH**_!! Don't sneak up on a person like that! You could have given me a heart-attack, you know!" After her initial scream, which caused the rider to wince in pain, Nicole realized that said rider was sitting on top of a horse unlike any that she had ever seen before.  
  
The horse was magnificent in every way possible for an equine to be. Its body was sleek and well muscled; its mane and tail were as fine as silk and completely knot free......And its eyes were such a soft and intelligent shade of brown that it was as if the horse knew a valuable secret and could whisper it to you if it so wished. As for the rider, Nicole tried to see past the hood to gaze their face, but the shadows seemed to move, keeping the rider's face concealed.  
  
"Why do you wander these woods?" The voice that spoke was as beautiful as the equine that carried its owner...soft, rich, and smooth. Nicole realized then that the rider was very familiar...in a strange and slightly terrifying way. Upon closer inspection, Nicole saw that the rider carried a bow and quiver over his shoulder that looked suspiciously like an Elven bow from the 'Lord of the Rings' movies.  
  
"I-I'm...lost?" Nicole was not sure what was going on, nor did she know if she wanted to know...but she did know was that she did not want to upset this hooded one...in case he was an obsessed psychopath that would suddenly decide to shoot her with his very realistic looking bow.  
  
"Are you in league with the Dark Lord, Sauron?" the rider's voice cut, suddenly holding an edge to it sharp enough to cut the silence of the forest around them. ......Strange, Nicole had not noticed it being quiet before......  
  
'Yep! He's an obsessed psychopath! Just my luck. First I end up in a strange place, cut up my head, get myself lost in the woods, take a dive in a freezing cold river, and _**then **_run into a crazy nut that thinks he's in Middle-Earth! ......I'm having such a wonderful day...'  
  
"No," Nicole bit back sarcastically, "I'm in league with Bob, the Bunny Lord!" The rider's equine tossed its head and made a soft nickering sound, almost as if it was laughing at what Nicole had said. As for the rider...they simply cocked their head in confusion before speaking again.  
  
"...Do you jest, Human?" Nicole quirked an eyebrow at the 'human' comment, but kept the tart remark she had in check, still concerned about the stranger's bow. Instead she replied in an honest manner...  
  
"Yes, _O Hooded One_, I jest. I've not had the best of days so far and you're not making it much better. Can you point me to the nearest highway or telephone? I need to find out where I am."  
  
"I do not know what a 'highway' or a 'telephone' is, but I do know where you are. You are in the land of Rivendel, the Last Homely House, where Lord Elrond dwells."  
  
"Yeah, sure. And I'm the Queen of Sheba," Nicole said and gave a mock curtsy, a sight to see since she wore wet pants. Afterwards she tried to rub her arms as she had started to lose feeling in them.  
  
"Why would a Queen wand in such a state? Have you lost your host?" Nicole stared at the rider for a moment before scoffing in disbelief.  
  
"Um...I was being sarcastic. Look...dude? If you can't help me than _mara mesta _and _hira cuile_ **(good-bye and get a life)**." Nicole wondered if this nut knew what she had just said to it in Quenya, but she did not stick around long enough to find out. Nicole started forward again, moving away from the rider and further in the direction she had been heading in.  
  
As Nicole continued to walk, she suddenly became aware of the sound of hoof-beats behind her. Casting an eye over her shoulder, Nicole saw that the strange rider had followed her!! Nicole stopped, turned, and with a look of pure wrath on her face, placed her hands upon her hips.  
  
"Why are you following me?" Nicole asked with a low and dangerous voice.  
  
"I am not following you, we simply happen to be heading to the same destination...Rivendell." Here the rider paused for a moment, studying Nicole from underneath their hood, before continuing, "How is it that you know the High language of the Elves?" The rider stopped once again beside Nicole, who still held her displeased poise.  
  
"I studied it back home in my free time...and my entire vocabulary consists of around fifty words or so...so don't get excited." As Nicole finished, she stared at the hooded rider, seriously considering her options.  
  
'What can it hurt? We're both heading in the same direction...and there's obviously something up ahead that this nut's heading to......Maybe it's a Lord of the Ring convention or something......Besides, if I ride behind him, that'll keep him from going for those arrows of his...The closer I am to danger, the further I am from harm.'  
  
"Hey...I'm sorry for what I said back there and since...since we're going the same way, you think you can give me a ride? Walking around in soggy socks can't be good for a person's health," Nicole said, forgoing her pride for the sake of her health.  
  
"I will...if the young Lady would tell me her name and where she hails from, for you accent intrigues me. I have heard none like it before," the rider replied in that constantly calm, and familiar, voice that was slowly beginning to irk Nicole.  
  
"My name's Nicole Truelove. I'm from Missouri, USA. What about you? _Man na esselya_?" **(What is your name?)**

**  
**"I am Legolas, son of King Thranduil, who is the ruler of Mirkwood." At that, the mysterious rider pushed back his hood and revealed Orlando Bloom dressed in Elvin garb. Nicole simply stood there...staring, her mouth hanging open, ready to catch any passing flies.


	3. The Journey Starts

" Hey, I'm sorry for what I said back there and since we're going in the same direction, you think you can give me a ride? Walking around here with soggy socks can't be good for a person's health."  
  
" I will, if the young lady would tell me her name and where she hails from."  
  
" Me? My name's Nicole Truelove. And you? Man na esselya (What's your name)?"  
  
" I am Legolas, son of King Thranduil, ruler of Mirkwood." At that, the cloaked rider pushed down his hood and revealed Orlando Bloom in all his Elfy goodness.   
  
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~  
  
Nicole simply stood there staring for a moment, her mouth hanging slightly open. Orlando smiled at Nicole's expression before offering his hand to her. Nicole went from staring at Legolas' face to staring at his hand. Nicole suddenly felt very self-aware in her soaked state and wondered if Orlando was really going to let her ride with him, despite the fact that he would get wet as well. Nicole also wondered why Orlando was riding about out here and if she was somehow in New Zealand.   
  
" Um………you'll get wet," was the words that Nicole uttered, suddenly unable to meet Orlando's gaze.  
  
" Do not worry about that. My cloak repels water. Here, take my hand so we may depart and rejoin the others." Nicole's eyes snapped back up at Orlando.  
  
" 'Others'? What others?"   
  
" The Elves that escorted me from my home. Come, I left them near the river when I saw you. They will soon come looking for us. Let us go or do you not trust me?"   
  
" T-this is just too much for me here. I don't know what's going on. I don't know where I am, how I got here, how I'm gonna get back home. I don't know anything!"   
  
" If you come with me, I am sure that Lord Elrond can assist you in some way." Orlando/Legolas lent further towards Nicole on his horse with his hand still offered to her. Nicole dropped her hands to her sides and took a shuddering breath before taking Orlando/Legolas' hand. With surprising ease, Orlando/Legolas pulled Nicole up behind him and waited patiently while she settled herself.  
  
Nicole sat still for a moment behind Orlando/Legolas, her hands resting on her thighs before Orlando/Legolas turned his hand slightly and said:  
  
" It would be safer for you if you held onto me." Nicole felt a blush burn a path up her face as she timidly wrapped her arms around Orlando/Legolas' waist. His body was lean but Nicole could feel the muscle hidden underneath them. The thought of steel wrapped in silk came to Nicole as Orlando/Legolas turned his steed around and started back towards the river.  
  
They had barely set off when a voice rose from in front of them.  
  
" Legolas! Otorno (sworn brother, as in spirit or best friend type of brother) Legolas!" Legolas spurred his steed forward into a canter and Nicole was suddenly glad that she was holding on at the sudden jolt.  
  
" Otorno, I am here! I have found what I sought." Two more riders came forth from the trees and Orlando/Legolas stopped his horse. The other two figures on horseback where the exact same Mirkwood Elves that Legolas was with during the Council of Elrond from the Fellowship Of The Ring, wearing cloaks similar to Orlando/Legolas', though both their hoods were down.  
  
They looked at Nicole, who had hastily removed her arms from Orlando/Legolas' waist when they stopped. They then looked back to Orlando/Legolas.  
  
" Where did she come from, Otorno? Is she a spy for the Dark One?" Nicole made a hurt face at the accusation and wondered how far these people were taking their little game.  
  
" She is no spy. She is merely lost and wondering how to get back to her home for she does not know how she came to be here. I am taking her to see Lord Elrond and Gandalf so that they may help her."  
  
" Very well, Otorno, if you trust her, so will we." The two other riders nodded their heads to Nicole as Orlando/Legolas started off again. Nicole, who was once again caught by surprise by the sudden start of the horse, snapped her arms back around Orlando/Legolas' waist, causing him to laugh heartily at her shock.  
  
The other two riders stepped up on either flank of Orlando/Legolas' horse and stared straight ahead as the made their way back to the bank of the river. Moving along it's edge, the four of them found a well-worn path and Nicole mentally kicked herself for missing it when it was so close to where she was earlier.   
  
After a while, Nicole became bored with staring at the back of Orlando/Legolas' head and cloak, and decided to look over at one of the other people with her. She looked left and saw that the blonde there had his eyes locked firmly on the path ahead of them. Nicole looked right and found the other blonde looking at her. They stared at each other for a moment before Nicole spoke to him.  
  
" Manen nalye (How are you?)?" The man looked slightly surprised before smiling softly and nodding his head to state that he was well. Nicole wondered why he didn't speak and figured it was because they might not be allowed without permission. Several more minutes passed and Nicole started to dose. She couldn't help it, Orlando/Legolas' body was quite warm and she had become used to the gate the horse was traveling in and her headache that her cut caused was almost gone. Nicole was jolted awake, however, when the horse started to lightly gallop forward.  
  
Nicole, who now had a firmer grip on Orlando/Legolas' waist than before, looked over his shoulder to see the most amazing sight that she had ever seen: the real, honest-to-God, Rivendell! It was huge and Nicole suddenly realized that the entire time she had been riding with Legolas, she had mentally dropped the Orlando, they had been going uphill.  
  
' I can't believe it, I really /am/ in Middle-Earth!! Now I really am far away from home.' Nicole continued to stare as they all approached the Last Homely House, and she saw that there was a small welcoming committee waiting for them. It included Lord Elrond himself, looking as serious as he did in the movie, two other dark haired Elf men that looked amazingly alike, Nicole figured that they must have been Elrond's twin sons, several other nameless Elves, and, in Nicole's opinion, the very weird Arwen.   
  
Legolas stopped in front of the group and slipped of his horse. The other two Elves that had followed them got off their horses as well, which left Nicole being the only one astride a horse. Before even greeting his host, Legolas turned and reached for Nicole. Startled by his act of kindness and the fact of where she was, Nicole allowed Legolas to help her down despite the fact that she knew how to get down herself.   
  
" Welcome Legolas, son of Thranduil, to Imladris. Who is this that you have brought with you?" Nicole, who had taken half a step to stand behind Legolas, felt extremely small in front of Elrond and the other Rivendell Elves, who all seemed to be looking at her.  
  
" This is Nicole Truelove. She has lost her way and does not know how she came to be here, my Lord. I brought her here so she may have aid in finding her way back to her home." Elrond nodded his head and, much to Nicole's emotional discomfort, Legolas stepped aside and gently pushed her towards the Elvin Lord.  
  
  
  
" Welcome to Rivendell, Lady Nicole. I am Lord Elrond, Master of this House. These are my sons, Elladan and Elrohir, and my daughter, Arwen." 


	4. Dresses, Wizards and Gifts! Oh My!

Okay, first I'd like to say that I don't own 'Lord of the Rings'. All said material belongs to J.R.R Tolkien. This is simply a work of enjoyment that my three friends and I wanted to share with others.   
  
Reviews are welcome, but not required. Flames will either be removed or responded to in kind. I do welcome constructive comments, though. That would be you there, Saber Apricot! ;)  
  
Second, I would like to thank my two /nice/ reviewers, Saber Apricot and Kuramasgirl556. Both of you are very nice and I've taken your advice in trying to make my chapters a bit longer! Sorry for their shortness!   
  
So now that's out of the way, you may continue!  
  
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^  
  
" Welcome to Rivendell, Lady Nicole. I am Lord Elrond, Master of this House. These are my sons, Elladan and Elrohir, and my daughter, Arwen."  
  
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^  
  
Elrond's children nodded to Nicole politely and Nicole found herself nodding back, completely uncomfortable with everything around her and not knowing what to do.  
  
After that, Lord Elrond, Arwen, Elladan, Elrohir, and all the other Rivendell Elves started back into the Homely House. Nicole looked to Legolas and he urged her forward with a slight push, obviously wanting her to lead the way. Nicole went forward slowly, not wanting to leave Legolas behind since he was the only thing that was halfway familiar to her.   
  
Past the first beautiful archway of Rivendell, there were Lord Elrond's twin sons waiting there as Elrond and the others continued to walk away.  
  
" Lord Elrond bade me to lead Prince Legolas and his company to their rooms. If you would follow me, your Highness?" One of the twins started to move down the short corridor, that Nicole saw opened into a small courtyard, and beckoned Legolas and the other two Mirkwood Elves to join him. Nicole looked to Legolas with uncertainty. Legolas stayed firmly rooted to his position and addressed the other twin.  
  
" And what of Nicole? What is she to do?" Nicole felt herself blush again at Legolas' kindness since she wasn't used to being treated with such kid gloves. It was very nice, if embarrassing.  
  
" Lord Elrond wished for me to show the Lady to a room as well where she can change. He then wishes to speak to her. Is that alright, your Highness?" Legolas nodded and rested his hand on Nicole's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze, before following the young Elvin Lord waiting for him. Nicole watched him go and swallowed hard, once again not sure what to do or how to react.   
  
" My Lady?" The twin waiting on Nicole broke Nicole's silent musings and Nicole felt herself blush again, for being caught drifting off and being called a Lady by an Elf.  
  
" I'm not a Lady, my name's Nicole. What's yours?" The Elf, who was very handsome like his father though less serious looking, seemed a bit surprised by Nicole's speech. Nicole wondered how much more she would surprise people while she was here.  
  
" I am Elrohir. If you would please follow me, I am sure that we can find you clothing that is less saturated and that covers more." Elrohir offered his arm to Nicole, who stared at him for a moment before uncertainly laced her arm through Elrohir's, all the while blushing because of how much skin Nicole realized that she was showing in comparison to everyone else.  
  
" If it's alright for me to ask, why does your father want to speak with me?"  
  
" To discuss how you came to be here and how to escort you back to wherever you came from," was all that Elrohir said before drifting off into silence again. Nicole, not wanting to pester the Elf with more questions, felt content to look around her at all the wonders that were Rivendell.   
  
It was defiantly the most beautiful place Nicole had ever seen. The stone work on the arches and in the courtyards, the beauty in the trees and plants that abounded around the House, and the Elvin people that Nicole and Elrohir occasionally passed took Nicole's breath away. As they finished walking up a small flight of stairs and Nicole mentally admitting that she was lost, Nicole glanced out a glassless window out into another courtyard and saw something else that took her breath away.  
  
There, sitting on a bench and munching on apples, were the four Hobbits from the Fellowship. Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin all sat there, talking, laughing, and eating to their heart's content. Before Nicole realized, she and Elrohir passed the window and the four Hobbits were blocked from Nicole's sight. In the movie Nicole had thought the Frodo and the others to be quite cute, but when she saw them in the flesh she realized that they were more handsome than the Elf whose arm she held!!  
  
" Here is your room, Nicole. You will find clothing inside that you may change into. I will wait for you here so I can take you to my father," Elrohir told Nicole as they reached a door further down the third corridor from the window that Nicole saw the Hobbits in.   
  
" Thank you, Elrohir." On the way to her room, Nicole had been trying to mentally pronounce Elrohir's name the way that he had, not wanting to mispronounce it. Nicole wanted to give herself a pat on the back when she had just said it and not bungled it.  
  
Nicole stepped into her room and gently shut the door and bolting it behind her. She was slightly surprised that there was a lock on the door but was glad for it since she didn't want anybody walking in on her. Leaning against the door for a moment, Nicole tried to collect her thoughts as she looked about her room.  
  
It was a lovely room, one that looked very similar to the room that Frodo woke up in when he first came to Rivendell, but instead of a Elvin woman carved on the wall behind the bed, there was a carving of a beautiful bird, one that Nicole thought looked very much like a peacock or maybe a phoenix. The sheets on the bed were a pale shade of blue and a light breeze came in through an open, double-door window.   
  
Pushing herself away from the door, Nicole went to the window to close it but looked out once before doing so. Nicole found herself looking out upon the deep forest that she and Legolas had come from. Now that she was looking out upon it and remembering the river that she fell in, Nicole realized that river was the very same one that the Nazgul were swept away in by Arwen.  
  
Nicole took her eyes away from the landscape and shut the window. She turned from the window and towards her new bed to see a small bundle of cloth folded neatly on the coverlet. Nicole walked over to the bed and picked up the bundle of cloth, which was a slightly darker shade of blue than the sheets on her bead, and as it unfolded in her hands, Nicole realized that it was a simple dress. There were no designs on it save for the minute wave the thread caused near the neckline and hem. It also had long sleeves and, as Nicole held it near her to judge the length, it reached past Nicole's ankles.  
  
Pulling it away from her Nicole realized that she had left something on the bed. Keeping the dress in one hand, Nicole picked up the other, smaller bundle of cloth. As it unfolded, Nicole realized that it was a slip and it was made of a silky fabric that felt like the wind made into cloth.  
  
Nicole put the dress and slip back on the bed and began to pull off her soggy cloths. Leaving her underwear in place though it was still slightly wet, Nicole pulled the slip on over her head. Next she picked up the blue dress and pulled it on as well. As the hem of the dress fell past Nicole's bare feet, she glanced around and spied a fully furnished vanity table, though many of the things Nicole wasn't quite sure the bottles and cases were used for. But amidst the Elvish girly things, Nicole spotted a brush. Picking up the hem of her dress, Nicole made her way to the vanity and sat down on the little stool that had been tucked neatly away beneath it.   
  
It took Nicole less than a minute to pull the brush through her drying and knotted hair, this being because the longest strands of her hair barely touched her shoulders and her entire hairdo was feathered. Putting the brush back down, Nicole looked herself over, gave herself a nod in acceptance, and then went to the door. Before she opened it, Nicole cast her gaze around the room once more in search of a pair of shoes or slippers, but saw none.  
  
' Well, if Galadriel can get away with walking around barefoot, so can I!' Nicole thought as she pulled open the door to her room, leaving her wet clothes in a crumbled, though neat pile near the bed and she found Elrohir dutifully waiting for her on the other side.  
  
Elrohir remained silent for a moment, gazing at Nicole in a half turned position from the window opposite of Nicole's door.   
  
" What? Did I put it on wrong or something?" Nicole looked down at herself, trying to figure out what Elrohir was looking at. Elrohir smiled softly again and completed his turn to face Nicole.  
  
" Nothing is wrong. I was merely fascinated as to how much you were transformed by simply putting on a dress. If you would allow me, I believe I can improve your dress." Not waiting for a reply, Elrohir reached into a pocket of his robes and pulled out a long, white ribbon that shimmered in the light. He stepped up to Nicole and slipped the ribbon around her waist.   
  
Nicole stood frozen for a moment as the Elvin Lord's arms were wrapped around her waist and she felt a blush creep up her face as Elrohir remained close to quickly tie the ribbon in front. When he was finished, the ribbon fell elegantly from Nicole's waist and Elrohir stepped back to admire how well a simple ribbon could make something better.  
  
" T-thank you………Uh, what exactly am I supposed to call you? I don't care about you calling me Nicole and I know I called you Elrohir before but I don't want to overstep anything while I'm here."   
  
" Just call me Elrohir since you insist that I call you Nicole. Though we would never admit it to my father and the other Elders, Elladan and I don't care much for titles anyway. Come now, Nicole, my father is waiting to see you." Elrohir offered his arm to Nicole again and she took, less nervous than before now that she looked more appropriate to her settings.  
  
Elrohir led Nicole through Rivendell silently once again and Nicole's mind raced as to what she was supposed to tell Elrond when she came to him. But she had not figured anything out by the time Elrohir stopped inside the large library that Elrond and Gandalf had talked in during the movie.  
  
" Father? Nicole is here to see you now." Elrond, who had been leafing through a book, looked up and saw Nicole once more.  
  
" Ah! Such a great change with a simple change in clothing, Lady Nicole! Thank you for coming to meet me. You may go, Elrohir." Elrohir nodded to his father, patted Nicole's hand and gave her a small smile before turning and leaving.   
  
Nicole stood in that spot for several moments, not sure how to proceed………especially since Elrond had gone back to leafing through the book he held. Nicole looked around the room and wondered if Gandalf had already arrived.  
  
' Of course he has, silly! Frodo's awake, isn't he? Gandalf has to be here!' Nicole gaze left the large bookcases and went back to Lord Elrond and found him looking at her.  
  
  
  
" Y-yes?" Nicole squeaked softly and it caused Elrond to smile.   
  
" Tell me, Lady Nicole-"  
  
" It's just Nicole, Lord Elrond. I already told your son, Elrohir, that I'm not a Lady and shouldn't be called one………besides, it sounds weird." Again Lord Elrond smiled as he closed his book and placed it back onto the shelf. He took a step towards Nicole and, once he reached her, started to circle her while looking her over.  
  
' Great………an Elf who was a vulture in another life,' Nicole thought sarcastically.   
  
" W-what is it, L-lord Elrond?" Nicole wanted to smack herself to stop her stuttering but kept utterly still as Elrond finished his second circuit around her. He stopped in front of Nicole and looked deep into her eyes. Nicole wanted nothing more than to look away since she hated looking strange people in the eye, but she found that she couldn't. She found herself drawn into the dark blue gaze of Elrond and felt that there was nothing she could keep secret from him.  
  
" You come from a land far away from this one………from across the seas of Water and Time. You know things, secret things, of the coming war and what it holds for all the Free People. You know of the One Ring and where it hides."  
  
" H-here in Rivendell, Lord Elrond." Nicole suddenly became more nervous than before and wondered exactly how much Elrond knew.  
  
" And do you know who carries the One?" Nicole paused for just a moment, long enough to take a breath and to swallow, before answering:  
  
" Yes, M'Lord. Frodo Baggins of the Shire carries the One Ring. H-how do you k-know this?" At that moment Elrond's eyes broke away from Nicole's and looked over her shoulder. Nicole turned her head slightly and jumped at the sight of Gandalf standing behind her.  
  
" Because he saw it in a dream and Galadriel and I confirmed it. Your coming here has caused a large stir in the higher forces. All sides know of your presence here, you are only lucky that Prince Legolas found you when he did." Nicole swallowed hard at the news and Gandalf stepped further into the room, his staff clicking softly on the stone floor.  
  
" How long has she been here, Lord Elrond?" Gandalf moved past Nicole, to Elrond's side and turned to look at Nicole.  
  
" No longer than an hour. Legolas brought her here, and then Elrohir took her to her room and then brought her here. There is all of where she's been." Gandalf and Elrond took a few steps away from Nicole, who made a face at suddenly being ignored. She tried to listen to what they were saying but she soon realized that they were talking fiercely in Quenya and there were far too many words that Nicole didn't know for her to translate it. But what Nicole did gather was that they were arguing about her and the One Ring.  
  
' I can't believe I'm really here. After all that daydreaming and idle fantasying, and it comes true! I wish August was here, she could make all this seem lighter.' August, whom was one of Nicole's closest friends and avid fan of The Lord of the Rings, always seemed to make Nicole happier with a little inside joke that involved Middle-Earth or the people in it. What Nicole found special was that, more often than not, was that she would be the only one besides August who understood the joke, or found it as funny as August.  
  
As Gandalf and Elrond continued to whisper hurriedly, Nicole began to worry about what Gandalf had said. The thought of the Sauron and Saruman knowing of her presence and of what she knew frightened Nicole in the very core of her being, especially since she apparently didn't have any of those nice Mary-Sue type powers that were usually supposed to come with this type of trip.  
  
Nicole's mind played over all the different types of powers that Mary-Sues had from the fanfictions she had read online. Many were common, such as being turned into a Wizard, Elf, or Hobbit. Some were more exotic like………well Nicole couldn't think of any more exotic ones than that at the moment, but she was sure that they were out there. And as she continued to ponder this, Nicole started to play 'Concerning Hobbits' through her head to calm herself, it being one of her favorite songs from the movie. Nicole became engrossed with it inside her mind, mentally adjusting each minute flute and violin piece that she could remember. Inside her head, Nicole was trying to recreate an orchestra.   
  
What Nicole didn't realize was that Gandalf and Elrond had stopped talking and had turned to look at her. Nicole had now taken a step towards Elrond's bookcase and was scanning all the Elvish titles, trying to find any words that she understood, all the while keeping 'Concerning Hobbits' playing inside her head.  
  
" Well, it seems that you have an exotic gift after all," Gandalf said, breaking Nicole's peaceful little veil that she had draped around herself. Nicole looked up with a startled expression to find Gandalf addressing her again………and being more confusing than he normally was.  
  
" What do you mean?" Nicole locked her hands behind her back as a small child might, because she had been in the motion to take down one of Elrond's books. The book had been titled 'Bes Anarinya', which meant 'To Marry My Sun' in Quenya. To Nicole that sounded like an Elvish romance novel and she had wanted to look through and try and translate some of it.  
  
" The music you just played, it seems to be you gift that you have brought with you." Nicole's startled expression changed to one of utter confusion as she continued to look between Gandalf and Elrond.  
  
" What music?"   
  
" That little tune that you created just now. It was quite beautiful………It reminds me of the Shire." A flame of understanding sparked within Nicole's eyes but that only made it seem more unreal as she opened her mouth to speak again:  
  
" You mean you heard the music I had playing in my head just now?" Gandalf and Elrond nodded their heads and Gandalf smiled kindly at Nicole as she still looked disbelieving, more now than ever. " How could you?! How did I do it?!"  
  
" That is one of the mysteries of your being here that we do not yet understand. Know that your gift is a powerful, if simple, one and take great care of it. You never know when it might prove useful," advised Elrond.  
  
" Um…" Nicole began nervously, " If you don't mind me asking, Lord Elrond, how am I supposed to get home? Do either of you know?" Gandalf and Elrond looked at each other for a moment before turning back to Nicole, who was starting to become crestfallen.  
  
" We do not know how to send you back, Nicole, and for this I am truly sorry. I believe that once this predicament with the Ring is over we may be able to find a way to send you back to your home, but as for now we cannot help you in that respect." Gandalf's heart went out to Nicole as he saw her eyes fall downwards.  
  
" There's nothing you can do?" Elrond and Gandalf shook their heads and Nicole suddenly felt as if she wanted to cry. At first she had been happy about finding herself in Middle-Earth but there had always been the subconscious knowing that she would be able to get back home. Now Gandalf and Elrond crushed that knowing into the dust.  
  
" Do not worry, Nicole," Gandalf said comfortingly, " Things will work out in the end. They always do. Now, if you'd like, you can explore some before dinner later tonight. Lord Elrond and I have some more things that we need to discuss." Before Nicole could utter a word, Gandalf had gently pushed Nicole out of the room (she was getting mighty tired of people doing that) and moved further into the room with Elrond.   
  
' Looks like I'm on my own for now. I hope I don't get too lost in this place.' 


	5. HOBBITS!

Disclaimer: Don't own Lord of the Rings...J.R.R. Tolkien owns it, not me. I'm not making anything. Nicole is mine, so is the story concept for what's happening in Middle-Earth right now. Also, I've changed the height of the Hobbits to be a little taller. There is a good reason for this...in the first movie guide that came out in '01, it said the average height for a Hobbit was 4'2". Therefore, I've made the Hobbits a little taller than they were supposed to be in the movie, Pippin going from around 3'5" to 3'11".  
  
Now, that's over with and you may continue on with the story.  
  
^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~  
  
/Last Time:/  
  
' Looks like I'm on my own for now. I hope I don't get too lost in this place.'   
  
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^  
  
Nicole set off in the direction that she and Elrohir had come from, in hopes that she could trace her way back to the courtyard she had seen the Hobbits in. She didn't have to go far to see the Hobbits because, after just a few minutes of struggling to find her way, Nicole did literally run into a Hobbit………Peregrine Took to be exact.  
  
" Oof! Hey, watch where you're going you lit-!" Nicole caught herself when she realized who she had just knocked into. Nicole's eyes grew wide and her mouth fell open slightly as a shock and dazed Hobbit stared up at her from his fallen position on the ground.  
  
" Pippin! Where'd you go?!" For a brief moment Pippin looked away from Nicole and back down the corridor from where he came. A flash of playful fear crept over his features and Nicole wondered who was chasing him and what Pippin had done to get chased.  
  
" Hide me!" Nicole's eyebrow quirked at Pippin's sudden demand.  
  
" Excuse me?"  
  
" Hide me quick! Before Merry finds me! He's coming after me 'cause I stole his apple." To prove his point, Pippin pulled out a bright red apple from his jacket pocket and held it up for Nicole to see. Suppressing a smile, Nicole lent down and helped the fallen Hobbit to his feet. Nicole was surprised again as to how tall Pippin actually was, with him standing just about three foot and eleven inches tall, stopping about mid-chest to Nicole.  
  
' Wow! Can't wait for him to drink Treebeard's Ent draught. He'll almost be Human size then.' Nicole grabbed Pippin's hand and raced back down the corridor in the direction that she had come from. She stopped at the first door she came to and cracked it open. Casting her eyes around the room, Nicole saw that it was a medical closet, with shelves lining the walls and the shelves filled with jars, vials, jugs, and drying herbs.   
  
' This must be where Aragorn hangs out sometimes,' Nicole thought as she tugged Pippin into the closet and closed the door most of the way. Nicole stayed next to the door, one eye squinting through the crack of the door, as a running Merry sprinted past the door. Nicole couldn't help but smile at the sight of Merry, what little she saw before he disappeared down the hall that is. He looked just like he did in the movie………only more real and thus more handsome.  
  
" Thanks!" Nicole turned her head to Pippin and flashed him a smile while holding a finger up to her lips in a signal for Pippin to remain quiet. Nicole turned back to the door and peeked out, looking down both sides of the hall. Seeing no Merry in sight, Nicole opened the door and exited the closet with Pippin following.  
  
" Hey, you're not an Elf!"  
  
" You just noticed that?" Nicole smiled at Pippin as he looked up at her again. Though it was strange because of the height difference, Nicole couldn't help but feel attracted to the little Hobbit. " I'm Nicole Truelove. I just came to Rivendell today. Who're you?"  
  
" I'm Peregrine Took, but call me Pippin. Where are you from?"  
  
" From a land across the sea. What about you?"  
  
" The Shire. Are there Elves across the sea like there's supposed to be?"  
  
" Don't know, never saw an Elf 'til I came here. I think the land I come from is different than the one the Elves go to. Why do you ask?"  
  
" Because the Undying Lands are across the sea. What's the name of your home?"  
  
" The country is called the United States of America, USA for short. The state that I'm from is called Missouri. Why do we keep asking each other questions like this?" Nicole asked with a smile.  
  
" Don't know. Want an apple?" Pippin shrugged his shoulders at Nicole's question and then offered up the apple that he had stolen from Merry. Nicole looked at the apple suspiciously for a moment.  
  
" Why are you giving it to me? Don't want to get caught with the evidence?" A cheeky grin spread over Pippin's face and Nicole felt her heart skip slightly before she took the apple from Pippin's hand. Nicole felt a bit stupid when her fingers brushed Pippin's and her heart did another skip and she was sure that she was blushing again." So tell me, Pippin," Nicole started, wanting to break the silence that had started to form, " Do you know your way around this place? I just got here less than an hour ago and I can't make heads or tails of this place. I don't even remember the way to my room!"  
  
" Sure! I know where the kitchens are, I know where the dining room is, I know where this really nice courtyard is, and I know where this really weird broken sword is. It's weird because there's paintings all around the room. It's also a bit creepy."   
  
" This whole place creeps me a bit, but that's just because of all the Elves," Nicole replied, trying to keep her expressions cool as she rolled her apple around in her hands, " Okay Pippin, why don't you show me around this place some? Maybe by the time your friend finally finds you, he won't be mad about the apple……….and it'll give me time to eat it as well." Pippin smiled again and nodded his head. He then struck out back in the direction that Nicole had been going when she had first ran into Pippin, expecting Nicole to follow him. And follow him she did, all the while admiring the little Hobbit and munching into the apple.  
  
...TBC...  
  
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~  
  
Me: Sorry for the shortness! There will be another chapter up a little later! Promise! 


	6. Dinner & Wine

Disclaimer: Don't own Lord of the Rings (as if you didn't know already), it all belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien. I'm not making any money off of this because it is simply a form of entertainment that I want to freely share with everyone.  
  
As I've said before, reviews are welcome, but /not/ required. Constructive critisism is also welcome, but flames will /not/ be tolerated.   
  
Now, on with the story!  
  
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^  
  
/Last Time:/  
  
"This whole place creeps me a bit, but that's just because of all the Elves," Nicole replied, trying to keep her expressions cool as she rolled her apple around in her hands, "Okay Pippin, why don't you show me around this place some? Maybe by the time your friend finally finds you, he won't be mad about the apple……….and it'll give me time to eat it as well." Pippin smiled again and nodded his head. He then struck out back in the direction that Nicole had been going when she had first ran into Pippin, expecting Nicole to follow him. And follow him she did, all the while admiring the little Hobbit and munching into the apple.  
  
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^  
  
Some time later, after Pippin had showed Nicole all the locations that he knew of and getting them lost more than once, the two of them finally ran into the other three Hobbits near the courtyard where Nicole had first seen them.  
  
" Pippin, where have you been? We've searched everywhere for you!" griped Samwise Gamgee. Nicole couldn't help but smile at the little gardener, who completely ignored her presence with all the concern for the youngest of their group.  
  
" I was just showing Nicole around, Sam. You don't have to worry so much. It's not like I was stealing food from the Elves or anything, they won't let me. They're too vigilant for me to even lift an apple from them." Merry's brows furrowed at the mention of Pippin stealing apples and Nicole couldn't hold back the giggle that past her lips.   
  
" Who's this?" asked Frodo, who finally noticed Nicole along with Sam and Merry. Nicole took a slight step out of the shadow she had been standing in and smiled shyly at the other three Hobbits.  
  
" This is Nicole, the one who I was showing around. Nicole, this is Sam, and my cousins Merry and Frodo. Nicole is new to Rivendell as well, just got here today in fact. She comes from across the sea." Nicole just nodded her head as the other three Hobbits, especially Sam and Frodo, stared at her.  
  
" From across the sea? You come from the Undying Lands?!" Sam's eyes grew so wide that Nicole became afraid that they might fall out of his head. Nicole felt as if her sides would bust if she had to hold in her laughter much longer.  
  
" No, I'm afraid I'm from a place a bit further away than the Undying Lands, but I'm not sure if Gandalf and Lord Elrond would want me telling you about where I'm from." Nicole had bent slightly, her eyes intent on Sam's face and her voice kept low, just like she would act if she were telling a small child a story.  
  
" Why not?" Sam asked, his eyes overflowing with amazement and wonder. Before Nicole could respond, someone interrupted her………  
  
" You seem to make friends quickly, Nicole." Nicole whipped around to find Legolas standing behind her, out of his traveling garb, and looking as princely as ever. " You have befriended Lord Elrond, Elrohir, Mithrandir, and these small folk."  
  
" I believe you missed one," Nicole replied easily. The Hobbits seemed even more shocked at the ease that Nicole was talking with this ethereal being. Legolas cocked his head in mock confusion while a small smile quirked at the corners of his lips.  
  
" Who do you mean?" Nicole stood up straighter in mock anger, continuing the natural game that she and Legolas were playing, and placed her hands on her hips.  
  
' This is nuts!' Nicole thought to herself, ' I can't believe the way I'm talking to him!'  
  
" If I'm not mistaken, Legolas, I thought that by the way you treated me when I came here you wanted to be a friend. If I was mistaken, please correct me." Legolas' small smile grew slightly larger and he gave a soft laugh before stepping forward to give Nicole's shoulder another gentle squeeze.  
  
" You were not mistaken, Nicole. Though I have just met you, you seem to be a noble example of the race of Man. I would be honored with your friendship. I have also come to let you know that dinner will be ready soon." At that the four Hobbits let out cheers of happiness and they, being led by Pippin and Merry, tore off in, what Nicole thought, the direction of the dining hall.  
  
" Um Legolas………before we go to dinner………could you help me find some shoes to wear?"  
  
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^  
  
After Legolas, much to his amusement, found Nicole some slippers, he looped his arm 'round hers and led her toward the dining hall.  
  
" Legolas, I've got to say that I've probably been all over this place today and I still don't know where I'm at or where I'm going!" Legolas smiled good-naturedly at Nicole before stepping through the door to the dining hall. Nicole immediately wanted to shrink back into the hall at the sight of the dining area.   
  
The inside of the dining hall was much larger than Nicole had thought, and there was a long table running the length of the hall. Rivendell Elves took much of the table up, while other parts of it consisted of the Dwarves from the Lonely Mountain, the other two Elves from Mirkwood, the four Hobbits, Gandalf, Lord Elrond, Arwen, and Aragorn at the head of the table, and the Men from Gondor, Elrohir and Elladan were mysteriously absent for some reason.   
  
As Nicole looked over the Men from Gondor, her eyes caught with those of the Son of the Steward himself, Boromir. Nicole also saw that the only two empty seats left were near the head of the table, near Aragorn and Gandalf. One was next to Gandalf, who sat across from Arwen; the other was actually between Aragorn and Boromir. Nicole swallowed hard as Legolas led her to the table, but she let out a mental sigh of relief when he pulled out the chair beside Gandalf. Nicole had been so nervous before that she hadn't noticed that Frodo was now sitting on the other side of her.  
  
  
  
  
  
Arwen AragornLegolas Boromir Gimli  
  
Elrond--------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Gandalf NicoleFrodo SamMerryPippin  
  
" Ah, Nicole! So glad you and Prince Legolas could join us, we were beginning to wonder if we should send someone out to search for you." Nicole felt herself blushing again and she stared down at the empty plate in front of her. Gandalf gave a hearty laugh while patting Nicole lightly on the back.  
  
" If you will ignore an old man's ramblings I would like to introduce you to Strider, the Ranger who guided our Hobbit friends safely here from the village of Bree." Nicole brought her eyes up to meet those of Aragorn, who she had to refer to as 'Strider' until the Council of Elrond was over, and found that his eyes were not as Elf-like as she would have expected from him. Since he had been raised with Elves, Nicole had expected his eyes to hold the Elvish wisdom she'd seen in Elrond's, Elrohir's, and Legolas' eyes, a cool, colleted expression, as if nothing could shake him. But Nicole saw none of that in Aragorn's eyes. Yes, there was wisdom there, especially since Nicole knew that Aragorn was over eighty years old, but for the most part Nicole saw………humor in Aragorn's eyes. A dancing kind of humor that seemed to spark and flash just beneath the surface of his gray eyes.  
  
" You must be Nicole. Lord Elrond has mentioned you." Aragorn reached across the table and offered his hand to Nicole. Though he wasn't wearing the soft, velvety clothes he was in during the Council, Aragorn still seemed more kingly than Ranger-like at that moment and Nicole wasn't sure how to react to him. Nicole timidly reached out and took Aragorn's hand, who gave Nicole's a firm, if brief, shake.  
  
" And since you already know Prince Legolas and our four Hobbits, the only guests that you need to know are Boromir, son of Denothir, who is the Steward of Gondor. And Gimli, son of Gloin, who hails from the Lonely Mountain." Nicole removed her eyes from Aragorn to look down the table at Boromir and Gimli. Gimli raised his goblet to her before going back to the conversation he had struck up with Merry and Pippin. Boromir nodded his head, which he had been resting on his clasped hands. Nicole felt sorry that she wasn't sitting closer to the Steward's Son, she wanted much to talk to him.   
  
  
  
" Now, since we have all gathered, we may begin tonight's gathering by offering our thanks to the Illuvatar," Elrond announced. Nicole felt the corners of her mouth quirk slightly at the fact that the Elves prayed at their dinner. She had always figured them to be very religious, despite the fact that the 'Lord of the Ring' books and movie didn't show it.  
  
Elrond bowed his head and so did the others at the table, including the Dwarves, who had their own deity to pray to. Nicole bowed her head and prayed as well:  
  
' God, Illuvatar, whatever you wished to be called or if you're two separate beings, I ask for you to watch over my new friends and me. I don't know why you sent me here or how I'm to get back, but I thank you for this great gift.' Nicole opened her eyes slightly and gladly saw that the others at the table were beginning to look up, not including the Dwarves, who seemed to be waiting impatiently on everyone else.   
  
" Now that thanks has been given, we may eat," announced Elrond and nodded his head. Suddenly, out of nowhere, several Elves came into the hall bearing trays laden with all sorts of Elvish food. Nicole marveled at the delicate looking foods but was quickly distracted by the nagging fact that Elrohir and Elladan were not at the table. Turning slightly towards Gandalf, Nicole nervously asked about the Elvin twins.  
  
" Um…Gandalf? Where is Elrohir?" Gandalf, who had been telling an Elvish servant what type of wine he wanted, paused for a moment before answering Nicole's question.  
  
" Elrohir? Oh, yes! I believe Lord Elrond's sons went out on an errand. They should be back by tomorrow afternoon." After that Gandalf's attention went back to his food and wine, leaving Nicole a little disappointed at his answer. Nicole was startled when the same Elvish servant that had just served Gandalf tapped her on the shoulder. Nicole looked up and realized that the Elf, who was a plain (as plain as Elves can go at least) Elf maid, holding a pitcher in one hand.  
  
" May I have your goblet, My Lady?" Nicole, ignorant on how to respond, simply handed the Elf her goblet and watched as she filled it with a soft rosy liquid. As the Elf maid handed Nicole back her goblet, Nicole hoped dearly that the wine, whatever type it was, didn't make her too drunk. Nicole had read too many stories where girls drank too much Elvish wine and either acted completely stupid or wound up in a………delicate situation with some person for the movie/story.  
  
" Oh, before I forget," Gandalf said suddenly, looking back to Nicole, "I had the Elves give you a very mild wine because you're so young. Is that alright?" Gandalf must have seen Nicole's inner relief because he smiled and patted her on the shoulder once more before going back to his food.  
  
Nicole, too, finally looked to her plate, which had been filled with food, most likely while she was looking at Gandalf or the Elf maid with the drink. Giving one more glance about the table to check and see if the others had started their food, which many had, Nicole picked up her fork and began to eat.  
  
It wasn't until Nicole was half through with her dinner when she bothered to look up from her plate again. As she did, Nicole found herself looking at a amused Aragorn.  
  
" What?" Nicole asked defensively. Aragorn chuckled before resuming his own meal. For the remainder of Nicole's own, she began to feel a little lonely. Not in the fact that no one was speaking to her, no, Frodo talked to her for a short while, even though Nicole never looked up from her food. Nicole's loneliness came from the fact that she was starting to miss her family.  
  
' I wonder what they're doing right now...I wonder if they've sent people out to look for me.' The rest of dinner, for Nicole, was passed contemplating her new fate and she was so engrossed with her thoughts that she didn't notice as a few people began to rise from the table.  
  
" My Lady?" Nicole looked up sharply after hearing her name being called and feeling a light tap on her shoulder. Aragorn was standing beside her and looking slightly concerned.  
  
" Oh, I'm sorry. I was off in my own little world there."  
  
" It's alright. Lord Elrond has summoned us all to the Hall of Fire. Would you like to come?" Aragorn offered his arm and Nicole nearly fell out of her chair. Casting a slight glance around for Arwen, Nicole felt a blush rising up her face as she stood and took Aragorn's arm.  
  
...TBC... 


	7. First Performance

Disclaimer: Lord of the Rings is not mine. It's J.R.R. Tolkein's. I'm simply using his story for a short time so I might create a new revenue of entertaiment from it. Nicole is the belongs to me, as well as the concept for this story.   
  
Reviews are welcome but not required. Thanks and enjoy the chapter!  
  
Also, I'd like to thank the reviewers that have been kind enough to leave their thoughts.   
  
First, Kuramasgirl556, who was the first to leave a nice review.   
  
Next, Saber Apricot who helped clear up what a Mary-Sue really was. Thanks bunches!   
  
Third is an anonymous named 'demee'. Thanks for the review, but, as for Nicole being with Legolas, I'm not sure if this is going to be a romance. I might steer away from that completely because that's what most people expect from Mary-Sues. But, you never know, there might be a sequal someday...  
  
After Demee is Richard the Pedantic, who has a wonderful Matrix story by the way. Thank you for thinking my story is witty and funny, and I hope that by sending Saber Apricot's Mary-Sue definition helped some.  
  
After Richard is Miliko01. Don't rush yourself with the story...that's my job!   
  
Then there's Kayla, who is actually in the story, being mentioned earlier as 'August'. She is actually one of the other three that have yet to appear in the story. Those chapters will soon be up, I'm just giving them some fine tweaking.  
  
Last is another anonymous, Angry Artist. And no, this isn't a continuance of another story, and I can't wait to hear more from all of you.   
  
Because of you all, I now have 12 reviews...well, eleven if you exclude the second one from the bottom. You make me all so happy! Thank you again and on with the story, Nicole's first performance! Ciao!!  
  
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~  
  
/Last Time:/  
  
" It's alright. Lord Elrond has summoned us all to the Hall of Fire. Would you like to come?" Aragorn offered his arm and Nicole nearly fell out of her chair. Casting a slight glance around for Arwen, Nicole felt a blush rising up her face as she stood and took Aragorn's arm.   
  
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~  
  
As Aragorn led Nicole through the winding halls of Rivendell, Nicole saw that the humor that had been sparkling in Aragorn's eyes earlier was still there and this annoyed Nicole to no end with curiosity.   
  
" Excuse me, Strider was it? If you don't mind me asking, what is it that you find so amusing. You look as if you've been holding back a laugh all through dinner." At this a smile did spread across Aragorn's face and he patted Nicole's hand.  
  
" I was simply remembering how Prince Legolas said he first met you."  
  
" Oh, is that all…-Wait a minute! When did he tell you this?!" Nicole stared at Aragorn for a moment and his smile turned into a cheese-eating grin before he started laughing.  
  
" H-he told me earlier this afternoon. He found it so amusing that a Human treated him as you did!" As Aragorn continued to laugh, Nicole felt as if her face would erupt into flames if her blush grew any worse.   
  
The rest of the walk to the Hall of Fire went uneventful…unless you counted the fact that every time Aragorn looked at Nicole he would start to laugh uneventful. This earned several odd stares from the occasional Elf they passed, and when they passed Boromir, who was talking with the Men who accompanied him to Rivendell, the look of confusion that crossed his face caused Nicole to start laughing as well. When Aragorn and Nicole finally entered the Hall of Fire, the two of them were laughing so hard that tears were nearly falling down their faces.   
  
Nicole stopped, though, when she saw the Hall of Fire. Though she could not remember the description of it, if there was one, from the books, Nicole knew that they would not have done the great Hall justice.   
  
It was set up like the old Roman theatres or the Coliseum, with all the action and entertainment happening in the center of a round room and the seats raising up all around. The center of the Hall wasn't very deep but it gave the person standing in the center a sense of smallness, as Nicole would later find out for herself. There were also columns surrounding the upper level of seats, with beautiful and intricate carvings that made Nicole wish she had been there to have seen their making.  
  
And looking up slightly, Nicole saw that the roof of the Hall of Fire was actually a clear glass dome, allowing sun or starlight in to put a spotlight on the person standing in the center.  
  
Tugging slightly on her arm, the still grinning Aragorn led Nicole to a seat near where Elrond, Arwen, and Gandalf were seated. Breaking her eyes from the beautiful night sky shining through the roof, Nicole saw that Arwen was staring at her. Feeling slightly unnerved by the unwanted attention of Elrond's youngest, and more than a bit annoyed by her mere presence, Nicole stared back. And though she was reluctant to admit it, Nicole was quite tempted to say that Arwen looked jealous of Aragorn's attention to her.  
  
As Nicole sat down between Aragorn and Gandalf, the Grey Wizard turned to her with a mischievous grin on his grandfatherly features.  
  
" Nicole, how would you feel about performing for us?" Nicole would have had a great retort for Gandalf if she wasn't interrupted by another voice.  
  
" You will be performing for us?" Nicole turned her head to see Legolas again, standing near her. She mentally cursed Elvish stealth to the Ninth ring of Hell.  
  
" I-I…uh…I-erm…What d-d-do you want to hear?" You see, though Nicole was into the performing arts and singing back home, she had a large fear performing in front of new audiences, especially when she was doing it by herself.  
  
" Whatever you wish to perform for us. It is your decision," Elrond said comfortingly, waving his hand in the direction of the center of the Hall. Aragorn patted her hand before Nicole stood up and started making her way down to the center. On her way down, Nicole spotted Pippin, Merry, Sam, and Frodo. Much to her surprise, Bilbo was with them as well. They saw her as well and the four she knew waved to her. Nicole gave a slight wave as well before staring at the center of the Hall, which was looming closer than Nicole cared for.  
  
Once she reached the center of the Hall, Nicole realized that all the seats had now been filled with mostly Elves, Men, Dwarves, and the five little Hobbits. There didn't seem to be an empty place anywhere, except where Nicole's seat was between Aragorn and Gandalf, and everyone seemed to be looking at her.  
  
For a brief moment Nicole couldn't think of anything to sing, her mind going completely blank. And for that moment, Nicole looked up to Frodo and saw his beautiful blue eyes staring down at her. Looking at him, Nicole recalled everything that would happen to him in a few months time, when the Fellowship departed. That's when an idea came to her for a song. Looking deep inside herself, Nicole started to recall the music of the song that came to mind as she had done for 'Concerning Hobbits'.   
  
Nicole heard the music readily enough, but she didn't realize the people of Middle-Earth heard it until she saw them gasp and their eyes go wide in surprise as Nicole put into detail the first soft harp notes. Several Elves looked over to one side of the Hall, where many musical instruments lay neatly, waiting to be used, though they all lay untouched.  
  
After a few more moment of soft harp music, that seemed to flow from out of nowhere, Nicole opened her mouth and began to sing as best she could, hoping it was good enough for her Elvish hosts.  
  
/"Pilgrim, how you journey…on the road you chose…to find out why the winds die…and where the stories go. All days come from one day…that much you must know. You can not change what's over…but only where you go."/  
  
By this time, Elrond and Gandalf seemed to have pulled themselves to a line of deep thought, as if they knew that Nicole knew something of importance in the future events of the War of the Ring.  
  
/"One road leads to diamonds…one way leads to gold…another leads you only to everything you're told. In your heart you wonder…which of these is true? The road that leads to nowhere? The road that leads to you."/  
  
At this moment, the music pitched forward slightly, building the power beneath the notes.  
  
/" Will you find the answer…in all you say and do? Will you find the answer…in you? Each heart is a Pilgrim…each one wants to know…the reasons why the winds die…and where the stories go?"/  
  
Now Nicole stopped looking off into space, as she had started to do to keep herself from noticing all the faces staring at her, and looked up at Frodo, knowing that next part of the song would be for him.  
  
/"Pilgrim, in your journey…you may travel far. Oh Pilgrim, it's a long way…to find out who you are. Pilgrim, it's a long way…to find out who…you are…Pilgrim, it's a long way to find out who…you…are…"/ As Nicole stopped singing, and she let the soft music dim from her mind, she saw that Frodo held a sad look on his face, one that she knew too well from the movie. The look that was on his face whenever he thought of the Ring. It was because of that look that Nicole regretted singing that song.  
  
But Nicole was saved at that moment when there was a sudden commotion from outside the Hall of Fire. It sounded as if someone was yelling in Elvish. Elrond, Gandalf, and Aragorn rose from their seats and ran from the Hall. Nicole, seeing nothing else to do, ran after them…  
  
...TBC... 


	8. The Four Have Gathered

Dislaimer: Don't own 'Lord of the Rings'. Belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien, the great and all powerful genius that rule my universe! *AHEM* Back to what I was saying... When I came back from visiting my Grandma's this weekend I was shocked and surprised to find that I now have twenty reviews...20!!! I nearly cried! That is the most reviews I've ever gotten! And that's with all of them added together!  
  
But anyway...I'd like to give thanks to Richard the Pedantic (everyone must really go read his Matrix story. It is great and he's working on the sequal),   
  
Miliko01 (if I need grammer and spell fixes, where? I'd be glad to fix them),   
  
the Queen of Newsies (thanks for the table comment. I don't know where the idea came from, but I think it came from the fact that I wanted to be able to 'see' where everyone was at.)  
  
And the newest one, L.Moonshade (I've tried to make Nicole realistic as possible and for very good reason...You see, Nicole, August, David, and Ray [who you'll be meeting in this chapter], are really three of my friends and I. I simply change our first names to our middle names for the sake of privacy. So, Nicole is really me, August is really my best friend from school, as well as David and Ray, who have to be two of the the craziest guys I've ever met.)  
  
Well, that's it for that. I'll try to make each chapter longer, especially since I feel that I'm really starting to pick things up with the story. I was a bit scared when putting this up because of the bad feedback on Mary-Sues but, since all of you have been so nice, I'm feeling new inspiration and I'll try to put out more chapters as soon as I can!   
  
And, last thing, I do and have shown this story to David, Ray, and August (they are in it after all) and will be showing them all of your reviews tomorrow, just to keep them updated on what you are all saying. Later folks! Thanks a million for the reviews!!  
  
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~  
  
/Last Time:/  
  
Nicole, seeing nothing else to do, ran after them…  
  
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~  
  
but at that time everyone else in the Hall decided to stand as well, making Nicole's exit all the harder.  
  
When Nicole did finally get out of the Hall, she couldn't see hide-nor-hair of Elrond, Gandalf, and Aragorn. So, heading in no particular direction, Nicole sat off in search of someone who knew what was going on.   
  
Walking didn't help her find anyone, nor did jogging, so Nicole was soon running through the halls of Rivendell and searching for anyone. She soon found someone, Elrohir to be exact though how Nicole knew that was a mystery. He was looking slightly winded, as if he had just been running as well.  
  
" Nicole! I have been looking for you! Quickly, you must come with me!" Without giving time for an explanation as to why and where they were going, Nicole was dragged down a corridor.  
  
" Elrohir, where are you taking me?! What's going on?!" Elrohir didn't say anything, but he did glance over his shoulder before moving quicker through the countless halls. When they finally stopped, Nicole figured they were near the front entrance of Rivendell, the way she and Legolas came through. And upon reaching that entrance, Nicole realized what was going on. Someone, who was definitely not an Elf, was screaming at the top of their lungs.  
  
" Let me go! Let us go you stupid, psychopathic wackos!" Recognizing that voice, Nicole wrenched her hand from Elrohir's grip and jumped down six stairs to land on leaf covered stone and saw what she could never have dreamed of seeing. She saw three of her closest friends surrounded by a group of armed Rivendell Elves, one of which being Elladan. August, David, and Ray, three of her friends who had been with her on a camping trip after they had all went and seen 'Return of the King' in theatre. August, David, and Ray, the three of the few people she would want to take to Middle-Earth.  
  
" Oi! August, Man am?" (What up?) August, a sophomore in high school and the youngest of their camping party, looked away from the male Elf she was getting ready to kick in the unmentionables and spied Nicole, who was pushing through the ring of serious Elf guards.  
  
" Nicole? Nicole! Where have you been?! We've been looking all over for you since this morning!! We thought something ate you for crying out loud!!! David fell into a river and is to the point of pneumonia, Ray's being the most annoying person on Earth as usual, I'm worried sick on top of not knowing where we are, we then get dragged around by crazy people dressed up in poor Elf costumes, then you come prancing in like everything's just peachy!!!!!" Nicole, who had took a step back from her younger friend, smiled kindly before pulling her friend forward to whisper into her ear.  
  
" August, just to let you know…those people in the poor Elf costumes? They're really Elves." August gave Nicole a 'What the Heck?' look before giving the circle of Elves another look. August then looked past the Elf blockade and looked more closely at Rivendell in the growing darkness.  
  
Nicole saw her friend's eyes grow wide and she felt a smile pulling on her lips. Nicole looked back at Elrohir and Elladan, mouthing the words 'It's alright' to them. Giving August a moment to soak in the wonderful surprise that had befallen the four of them, Nicole turned to Ray and David.  
  
Doing her best not to laugh, Nicole saw that David /had/ fallen into the river, his short brown hair matted to his head and his light hiking clothes soaked. He even had a drop of water still clinging to the light spattering of hair on his upper lip. Nicole was glad that she wasn't the only one who had gotten dunked that day.   
  
Looking past David to Ray, Nicole felt a bit sorry for Ray. Out of the four of them, Ray was the only one who didn't know much about Lord of the Rings. He had only originally gone to see the third part of the trilogy because Nicole and August had asked him. Since there had only been one part testosterone and two parts estrogen, Ray /had/ to agree in going…for health reasons you see.  
  
" I sent two scouts back to retrieve their belongings back in the woods," Elrohir said at that moment. Nicole gave him a look of thanks and was quite surprised when he stepped closer and placed a hand on the small of her back.  
  
At that moment bells, alarms, and sirens started going off in Nicole's head, along with a few flashing lights. They all seemed to be yelling 'OH HELL!'. With as much finesse as she could muster, Nicole moved away from Elrohir so she could turn and look at him.   
  
" Elrohir, since they are my friends and will most likely be meeting with Lord Elrond soon, would it be alright if I took them in and allowed them to change?" Giving a look of such sweet innocence that it almost made her gag, Nicole gave Elrohir a pleading expression. Part of her wanted the look to work so she could get August, David, and Ray into Rivendell…but another part of her didn't want it to work because it would prove the theory that was forming in her head…………Unfortunately, when Elrohir gave a small sigh and a soft look to her, Nicole's theory was proven true.  
  
Before she could give the Elvish Lord a chance to say anything, Nicole grabbed her friends and ran, as if the Devil was at her heels, back into Rivendell. Nicole paused only once to yell over her shoulder that they should bring the things that August, David, and Ray had been carrying to Nicole's room.  
  
" Nicole! What are you doing?! Where are you dragging us?!" August yelled, trying to pull away from the panicking Nicole.   
  
" Trying to get you to my room before something else happens!" But, after several minutes of running, Nicole had to stop because she was now lost, not knowing where her room was. Stopping to catch her breath, Nicole looked at her friends then up and down the hall to make sure that no one was listening to them.  
  
" Okay you guys, do you know where we are?" Nicole decided to start off at the beginning for all of them…well, mostly for Ray and David's sake actually. While August nodded her head 'yes', David and Ray each gave a firm 'no'.  
  
" Right. I'm going to try and explain this but I need you to not interrupt me so I can get through this. Somehow, don't ask me how, we've ended up in Middle-Earth. Rivendell to be exact, sometime before the Fellowship was formed. I've been given a strange gift to create music just by thinking it and the Mary-Sue conspiracy is, in fact, true. It will eventually turn against us, if it hasn't already, and turn our lives into one big pile of shit." When she was done talking, Nicole looked at her friends and saw that August and David had there mouths open in shock while Ray simply looked confused.  
  
" Wha? What the hell is a 'Mary-Sue'?" Ray so politely enquired.  
  
" A 'Mary-Sue' is usually a story where someone from our world falls into or gets transported into a the world of a movie, game, or book. The 'Mary-Sue Conspiracy' is when the said person who goes to the new world, namely us, start to become less-and-less human, and more-and-more…silly. The girls usually become gorgeous women who can't fight but seem to come out of the most fearsome battles unscathed. They also seem to get the most unattainable guys, even if they're married or engaged, and go through more emotional angst than seems sanely possible. They usually have powers that never did, or shouldn't, belong to them because they're human, creating a strange, and unrealistic veil of mystery around them."   
  
" You mean like a soap opera? ……Without the power thing?" Ray said after a moments pause of thinking of what Nicole said, " But, what about the guys? Doesn't something happen to them in these 'Mary-Sues'?"  
  
" Don't really know. I've never seen a male 'Mary-Sue', though I'm pretty sure that the same thing will happen to them, only they'll get the girl." David, Ray, and August were silent for several moments. During that time though, Elrohir and Elladan seemed to appear out of nowhere, causing Nicole to jump nearly out of her skin.  
  
  
  
" So this is where the four of you decided to disappear to. When their bags were taken to your room, Nicole, we couldn't find you," Elrohir asked, concern touching the edges of his voice. Elladan seemed to give his brother a look, a very brief one but Nicole caught it. It was as if he was trying to silently ask his brother why he was suddenly so interested in this little Human. Nicole wanted to hug Elladan then because he seemed to yet be affected by the 'Mary-Sue Conspiracy'.   
  
" I uh…got lost again. This place is so big that I could get lost trying to find the closet in my room," Nicole responded while giving a nervous giggle. The thought that she was becoming a typical Mary-Sue was starting to disturb her…greatly.  
  
" Well come. Let's see if we can't find the way back to your room." Elrohir offered his arm to Nicole once more and Nicole, giving her three friends a brief glance, took the arm as they six of them started to move through Rivendell once more.  
  
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~  
  
Once Nicole, August, David, and Ray were escorted to Nicole's room, Elladan informed them that August, David, and Ray's rooms were in the same hall as Nicole's.  
  
'So you may be closer together,' was Elrohir's excuse. Nicole found it harder and harder to hold back the sickening feeling rising in her gullet, what with Elrohir's disturbing behavior and all.   
  
" Well," Elladan proffered, "I believe we will leave you for now so we may go and inform our father of your friends arrival, Lady Nicole. Come, Elrohir." As the two Elf Lords departed to find their father, Nicole nearly collapsed into Ray's arms from relief.  
  
" Was that guy hitting on you?" asked Ray as he tried to keep Nicole from really falling down.   
  
" An ahyane," Nicole muttered under her breath. August caught it and recognized what Nicole had said. (An ahyane: He has changed.)  
  
" Let's get inside so we can talk more about this. I have a feeling that this is going to be a long night," August told everyone as she ushered them all into Nicole's room.   
  
David went in and pulled out the stool from the vanity before sitting down on it. Ray led Nicole to the bed since she was still nervous and on the verge of panicking. August was last and she closed the door before bolting it shut.  
  
True to their word, Elrohir and Elladan had brought August, Ray, and David's bags to Nicole's room. They lay in a neat pile where Nicole had left her clothes earlier that day……which were now dry, clean, and laying near Nicole's pillow. Leaving Nicole for a moment, only to have August take his position by Nicole's side, Ray went to the bags to dig around for a moment.  
  
He soon found what he was looking for and pulled out soda bottle. Giving it to Nicole, he sat down on the other side of her as she took a long swallow from the carbonated beverage. When she was done, Nicole gave a loud sigh before taking a deep breath. Tonight was indeed going to be a very long night.  
  
" Where do I begin?" Nicole asked herself. She was interrupted though when there was a knock on the door. " Damn those Elves and their quickness!" After receiving an odd look or two from her friends for the cursing, Nicole rose and marched to the door. Her nervousness and anxiety had transformed, as it sometimes did, into annoyance and anger. Nicole yanked the bolt from its' resting place before throwing the door open.  
  
" What?!" she fairly yelled before realizing that she had just yelled into Gandalf's face with pure murder in her eyes. With a shocked expression from Gandalf, Nicole stuttered for a moment before she moved aside to allow the Wizard in. Nicole closed the door behind him and cast a nervous glance to her friends.  
  
Gandalf ignored everyone for a moment, simply taking his time to pull up a chair from table on the far side of the room. As he sat down, he let out a sigh and then looked at each of the four strange teenagers in turn, Nicole being the last.  
  
" Well, now that the four of you are /finally/ together, you may now explain to me who you are and what you plan to do while you are here," Gandalf said with slight impatience while Nicole stared at him with slight shock.  
  
" A-Ar-Are you saying that……you /knew/ that we were going to end up here?! The four of us?!" As Nicole continued to stare, Gandalf nodded his head. Ray was looking more confused than ever, David was looking stoic, and August looked as if she would start yelling again.  
  
" Yes, Nicole, I did……though I wasn't sure. You see, Wizards see many /possible/ futures. It's part of our……job. We can see things that /may/ happen so we can aid the Free People as we were sent to do. You, Nicole, and your friends, were one of the 'possible futures'. Now, before I continue, I want the four of you to explain to me /everything/ that you can remember about what has happened. That, and I feel that I should know the names of your friends so it will make our future acquaintance easier."   
  
So Nicole, August, David, and Ray explained things as best they could to Gandalf……after introductions, of course. Nicole and August were even bold enough to tell him that the reason they knew what was happening was because the history of Middle-Earth was a story book in their time. They didn't bother to mention the movie franchise, video games, or vast merchandise sales since it might be a bit much for the Wizard…And they figured it would be alright to tell him what they did since Elrond himself said that they had come across the Sea of Time to reach Rivendell. The last thing they explained to Gandalf was Nicole's 'Mary-Sue Conspiracy' that seemed to be affecting Elrohir, and possibly Legolas, Pippin, and Aragorn as Nicole thought on the subject.  
  
" Hmm," just happened to be the only response that Gandalf gave the Four, who stared at him much as Merry and Pippin stared at Treebeard at the Entmoot…after he fell asleep…  
  
"I see now……Than what I've foresaw is true." Nicole leaned closer to Gandalf, awaiting to hear the truth as to why they came here. Nicole strained her ears as Gandalf opened his mouth to speak, ready for the worst yet fearing it. Finally, the Grey Pilgrim spoke……… "You've come to change the story."  
  
Nicole than did the real life version of the classic anime drop, falling to the floor from shock at Gandalf's simple, yet totally confusing answer.  
  
" What does that mean?" As if an answered prayer to Nicole's growing anxiety, August's growing yelling outburst, and Ray's growing confusion, David asked the question they were all just thinking……only in a more…sane…manner.  
  
" If what you say is true…about your 'Mary-Sues'…" Gandalf had to pause because, at saying the words 'Mary-Sue', he seemed to grow slightly green in the face, as if the mere mention of it made him nauseous, "……then this has happened before, or at least they have tried." Nicole, David, and August now joined Ray in his state of confusion.   
  
"People from your world coming to ours, being given gifts of great power only to twist them to their own wills when they were sent to do something greater. I believe that it has happened before…only…why does it seem like a memory from another Age?" Gandalf stopped in his narrative for a moment, now deep in thought and diving through old memories, when, considering how old Gandalf /really/ was, almost all of his memories are old.  
  
"Lady Nicole? My father wishes to speak with your friends now." It was Elrohir, standing outside Nicole's door. Nicole looked at the thick wooden portal and iron bolt in fear, as if they weren't enough to keep Elrohir on that side and her on this one.   
  
In desperation, Nicole looked to Ray, David, and August. Without a word the four of them had come up with a plan to keep Nicole 'safe' from Elrohir until they could find a way to keep the Elf Lord normal permanently.   
  
Standing up, picking herself up in Nicole's case, the five of them, three humans from an Age yet to come and an immortal Wizard doomed to die and be reborn, walked to the wooden door and waited as Nicole unbolted it. Before Nicole opened it, she looked to Ray and then stepped closer to him, allowing him to put an arm around her waist. Hey…the Mary-Sue Conspiracy couldn't force a Man…er…Elf on you if they thought you were already taken!  
  
"By the way," Ray whispered to Nicole, "You look sexy in that dress."  
  
...TBC...  
  
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^  
  
Me: Again...sorry for the cliff hanger and shortness! You see, now that I've come to the part with August, Ray, and David, I need to start consulting them with the story since it is their lives I will be toying with in this story. I'll try to post again as soon as I can! Remember, reviews are welcome...but not reaquired! Later!! 


	9. Of Making a Stand and Frustrated GoodNig...

Sorry it took me so long to post up another chapter! I've had the worse case of writers block you could imagine for this story. I've found inspiration to write some more on my other stories, but this one kinda got left behind.   
  
Well, now that apologies are out of the way, on to the disclaimer...  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Ring's, never have, never will. It all belongs to J.R.R. Tolkein and his family. I am simply writing this story as a form of entertainment to amuse people. Reviews are welcome, but not required. Constructive criticism is welcome also. One thing that is not welcome is shamless flaming. I will not tolerate it because I find it rude and unhelpful for budding authors. Now, you may all continue with the story...  
  
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^  
  
/Last Time/  
  
Standing up, picking herself up in Nicole's case, the five of them, three humans from an Age yet to come and an immortal Wizard doomed to die and be reborn, walked to the wooden door and waited as Nicole unbolted it. Before Nicole opened it, she looked to Ray and then stepped closer to him, allowing him to put an arm around her waist. Hey…the Mary-Sue Conspiracy couldn't force a Man…er…Elf on you if they thought you were already taken!  
  
"By the way," Ray whispered to Nicole, "You look sexy in that dress."  
  
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^  
  
Nicole opened the door to her temporary room and found Elrohir standing in front of the door (the door swings in) and Nicole could just hear her three friends suppress snickers and chuckles of amusement at Elrohir's apparent disapproval of Ray and where his arm was placed.   
  
After forcing his eyes away from where Ray's hand rested on Nicole's waist, Elrohir looked to each of them in turn.  
  
" I thought that you wished for your friends to change, Lady Nicole."   
  
"I'm sorry, M'Lord, we were all so happy with seeing each other again that it must have slipped our mind. That and we were speaking with Gandalf." Nicole felt an inward pang when she noticed that Elrohir had started calling her 'Lady' again, but was also glad that the plan to fool him was working.  
  
"Very well. I am glad that Gandalf is here with you because my father wished for him to be present when he talked to your friends. If you would all follow me." And so they followed him, each silent and nursing their own thoughts and feelings. After a while Ray let go of Nicole's waist, but stayed close to her to keep up the appearance of their false relationship.   
  
Nicole looked at her three friends, two of which had only come into her life less than a year ago. David, Nicole had known for about three years, though they had only really become friends when Nicole met Ray and August. Nicole had become friends with Ray and August when they had moved to her school. Though Nicole had at first been distant from August at first, it had only taken the mere mention of Lord of the Rings and their friendship had exploded and had been a constant ever since...all thanks to Lord Celeborn and XXX.   
  
Ray, on the other hand, had been slower. He had originally been close friends with the sister of Nicole's brother-in-law, April. During first hour Art, Nicole would often sit with April and, therefore, Ray. August had also been in that class and, after they discovered their common link, Nicole sat with August. As if drawn by some strange force, Ray started to seat himself by Nicole and August, joining the growing group of friends.  
  
If David was the goof of the group and Ray the flirt, August and Nicole were the glue because Nicole knew that if it wasn't for August and her bond, they would not have really known each other, and maybe not have been brought to Middle-Earth.  
  
Nicole continued to muse to herself when she realized that they had made their way back to Lord Elrond's study. She chastised herself for losing track of time and hoped it wouldn't happen again in the future.  
  
"My father will see you all now." Elrohir left, without seeing them into the study, and Nicole noted a drawn expression in his eyes. Once he rounded the corner, Nicole gently removed Ray's arm from her waist and followed Gandalf into Elrond's study.  
  
"So the others are finally here, eh Gandalf?" Elrond was standing near the bookcase that Nicole, herself, had been looking over earlier that day and was gazing at Gandalf with his normal indifferent look.  
  
"Yes, though I believe your dream only hinted toward the one."   
  
"And then you informed me that your own visions included three more, Gandalf."  
  
"Whatever our visions included, it does not change the fact that they are here now and something must be done. There is no need to hide what is going on from them because they already know much of the One, but what must be decided, /tonight/, is what /they/ will do."  
  
"How is it that they will be of any use? They are mere children," Elrond said coolly, glancing at Nicole and the others. Nicole and August bristled as Ray and David laughed at their ruffled looks.  
  
"It doesn't matter what age a person is, Lord Elrond, that tells if a person can succeed in doing something. It is what they wish to do, dare to do, and have the courage to see it through," Nicole stated hotly, staring the Elvin Lord, more-or-less, in the eye.  
  
"Yes, if you think that sending some superfluous Elves into battle would be best, than by all means, keep us out of the War," August added, standing next to her friend with hands on hips, while giving Elrond the 'Woman's Glare'.  
  
Gandalf laughed softly, leaning on his staff for support, and Ray and David were now leaning against the walls of Elrond's study, holding their sides to keep them from stitching. Elrond looked shocked at how these two young women's boldness.  
  
"I stand corrected, my Ladies. Know this, you four may have the courage to stand up against this War now, against Sauron and his armies from an unreachable distance, but can you face the unspeakable horrors that is his evil while on the field of battle?" Now it was Nicole and August's turn to become silent, their indignation forgotten as the ancient Elf Lord chastised them.   
  
"Ahem... On to other hand, Lord Elrond, these three are Ray Freeman, David Bishop, and August Pachaco, all from the same land as Nicole."  
  
"And are they as equally...gifted...as she is, Gandalf?" August looked up at her friend and asked with raised eyebrows:  
  
"What does he mean 'gifted'?" Nicole's cheeks turned a bright red, partially from the sudden perverse look that crossed Ray's face. That boy had always been the one with his head stuck in the gutter, as Nicole recalled.  
  
"I c-can make music...just by thinking about it," Nicole stuttered, still gazing away from the group. Out of the corner of her eye Nicole spied the book, /Bes Anarinya/, that she had spotted earlier.  
  
The other three other Americans stared at Nicole for several moments before David gave a short laugh, August continued to stare on, and Ray giving a very rude scoff of disbelief.  
  
"It's true you guys! Let me prove it!!" Nicole quickly thought of the most fast-paced song she could think of and immediately though of Aerosmith's 'Eat The Rich'. Thinking intently on the opening tribal riffs, Nicole shut her eyes and started to form the music as she had in the Hall of Fire earlier.  
  
The reactions of her three friends were expected; shocked gasps and wide-eyed stares, but Gandalf and Elrond had jumped back as if Nicole had suddenly turned into a purple Orc with neon green stripes dancing in a pink tutu.  
  
"Whoa..."  
  
"Damn!"  
  
"What the fu-?"   
  
Smiling in a suddenly cheeky way, Nicole crossed her arms over her chest and gave her three friends a 'What now?' kind of look as she let the hard rock music die out before it had even really started.   
  
Shaking his head slightly to rid himself of phantom ear clogs, Elrond stepped up to the four teenagers once more, along with Gandalf, and gazed at each of them in turn for the second time.  
  
"This cannot be sorted through tonight. I wish for the four of you to see me tomorrow so that we may try and solve this mystery, especially since I feel that the presence of all four of you will play some sort of role in the coming War. Forgive me, Gandalf, for delaying the matter, but you and I have other issues to discuss and, though it is late, I must prepare for the my other guests that are to arrive this week. So, if the four of you would be so kind, I believe that you can find your rooms without too much difficulty."   
  
With that, Lord Elrond gently shooed Nicole and the others out of his study and closed the door, leaving them to wonder aimlessly until some Elf took pity on them and guided them back to their rooms...which they did.   
  
After a stubborn 'good-night' from Nicole, who informed her friends that she was far too tired to continue the day's insanity without getting a few hours sleep, Nicole removed the extra baggage from her room and prepared for her first night's sleep in Middle-Earth.  
  
......TBC......  
  
/Sorry, again, for such a long wait on this chappy everyone! I know that the past chapters have been soft, even on the silly side, but I plan on making things more serious as the story roles on...I may even have to raise the rating later! *gasps in mock horror* But I'll try to dole out some more chapters as fast as I can, especially since I've been getting so many great ideas popping in my head! Later everyone!!/ 


End file.
